Sydney mass shooting leaves 16 injured, gunman in custody
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A gunman fired dozens of bullets in Inner West Sydney, injuring 16 in a rare mass shooting. NSW Police arrested a 60-year-old man at the scene.
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A photo of Sydney police at the scene of the shooting in Inner West Sydney, Australia, on October 6, 2025. (X/@BelarusInside)
A rare mass shooting in Inner West Sydney left at least 16 people wounded after a 60-year-old man reportedly fired around 50 bullets into the street from his property. The incident occurred on Sunday evening, prompting a significant police response.
According to NSW Police, the man was shooting at random from a location above a business, targeting passing cars and even police officers.
Authorities arrived swiftly on the scene, locked down the area, and entered the property where the suspect was located. A rifle was recovered, and the suspect was taken into custody after sustaining minor injuries around the eyes during the arrest.
He was later transported to the hospital for treatment. No charges have been filed yet, and the investigation is ongoing.
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Witnesses describe chaos and fear
Joe Azar, an office worker across the street, initially mistook the sounds for fireworks.
“Some guy's windshield blew up, then the bus stop glass shattered,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald. “It was frantic. It all happened so quick, so I couldn't comprehend what was going on.”
Another witness, identified as Tadgh, told ABC he was watching rugby when he heard loud gunshots and saw flash-bangs and smoke. “It was something out of a movie, really,” he said.
NSW Police Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry confirmed that around 50 shots were fired and 16 people were wounded. Most of the injuries were minor, caused by shattered glass. One man who suffered a gunshot wound is expected to survive.
“In my 35 years in the police, there’s been very few incidents of this nature,” Parry said, describing the attack as “random.”
Commissioner Mal Lanyon called the event “serious and terrifying,” but said there were “no known links to terrorism activity or any gang activity.”
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Mass shootings are uncommon in Australia, where strict gun laws have been in place since 1996 following the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, when a lone gunman killed 35 people.
Still, recent incidents have raised concerns. In August, alleged gunman Dezi Freeman went on the run after reportedly killing two police officers. In 2022, six people, including two officers, were killed in a shooting in Wieambilla, Queensland.
